Knoxville Defense Ousts Norwalk

A 12-0 run by Knoxville pushed the Panthers in front of Norwalk and the Panthers held on to advance in the Class 4A girls regionals 48-44 last night. The Panthers struggled to find their offense in the first half and trailed by two points, but the defense turned up the wick in the second half to key the run. Coach Jim Utiermarkt told KNIA/KRLS the defense was the key to the win. Utiermarkt added that Ricki Hall, who led the Panthers with 17 points played her best game of the season. Another key for the Panthers was at the free throw line as they outscored Norwalk 18-4, plus the Panthers only turned the ball over three times in the season after giving it up 11 times in the first half. Knoxville advances to 10-12 on the season and has booked a date with Perry on Saturday.